


And You're Not Invited

by masi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, jeaneren week 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1421479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masi/pseuds/masi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren is determined to have a fabulous time at his birthday party, with or without Jean Kirstein.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And You're Not Invited

**Author's Note:**

> written for jeaneren week; prompt: celebration

Around this time last year, Eren had taken his father’s car out for a joy ride. He had also accidentally knocked over a mailbox when driving back home. So, Mom had decided that he wasn’t allowed to have a birthday party or get presents either. In fact, he was actually grounded, had to stay in his bedroom and do homework. The highlight of the day was when Mom finally relented and let Mikasa bring him a cake from his favorite bakery. They had shared it while watching _Captain America_ , the most inspiring movie Eren has ever seen. He’s going to be as strong as Steve Rogers one day. He doesn’t care what Jean says about how he’s never going to be buff or nice enough. He can’t believe that Jean actually said that _he’s_ more like Steve. Jean is always so stupid.

This year though, Eren is extra good so that he can have his party. He cleaned his bedroom every weekend in February and he has been volunteering to do the dishes for the past three weeks. He even goes shopping with Mom, the slowest and most indecisive customer on the planet. 

He’s so good, Mom tells him a week before his birthday that not only can he have a party this upcoming Saturday but that he can have the house to himself for that whole weekend, as long as he promises not to bring any drugs or alcohol into the house. She and Dad are going to go on a congratulatory vacation, rewarding themselves for having been able to raise him for the past eighteen years without tearing all of their hair out. 

“This is going to be the best party ever,” he tells Mikasa as they head out for school on Monday. He’s so stoked that he lets Mikasa take the driver’s seat of Mom’s car without playing their usual game of rock-paper-scissors. He adds, “Hey, you can invite your friends too. You have friends this year, right? Haven’t scared everyone away?”

“You and Armin are enough for me,” Mikasa replies as she turns the corner towards Armin’s house. “But, Eren, who are you going to invite? Two years ago, you invited everyone in our grade, and then you spent the whole time arguing with everyone, and then you cried.”

“I didn’t cry!” Eren snaps. “And it’s not my fault. Jean was picking fights with me, and you’re the one who picked a fight with Annie and I had to stop you guys!”

Armin is waiting on the sidewalk in front of his house. He gets into the back with his heavy backpack. The car dips a little.

“Good morning,” he says. He puts his seatbelt on. “I heard you talking about Eren’s last birthday party. Please don’t invite everyone in our grade again, Eren.”

“Not you too, Armin!” Eren sighs. “Anyway, you guys don’t have to worry. Jean and I are getting along better this year, so there won’t be any fights.”

Armin smiles. “Getting along better? Is that what they call it these days?”

“There, what you said, that’s why you can’t get laid.”

Mikasa looks at Armin in the rearview mirror, expression more stern than usual. “Are you thinking of getting laid, Armin? We haven’t had our talk about how to use protection.”

Armin squeaks something in protest. Then he starts rambling about the philosophy of love or something boring like that. Eren only half-listens. He is going over who he wants to invite and how to tell them. 

***

He saves Jean for last. They’re in the same gym class, last block, and they’re playing soccer today. Shadis is a very strict teacher, doesn’t like people talking when they’re not supposed to be, but he won’t be able to hear them when they’re out on the soccer pitch. “Hey,” Eren says to Jean as they are lining up to be divided into teams, “volunteer to be captain and then pick me to be on your team. I have to talk to you about something.”

Jean sneers, “What could you possibly have to say?”

“That’s not what you said last Thursday. Who was the guy moaning, yeah, Eren, talk dirty to me?”

“Shut up!” Jean hisses, looking around. Connie and Sasha roll their eyes at him. 

He turns beet red and then raises his hand, calls out, “Mr. Shadis, I’ll be captain!”

When they are on the pitch, Eren yells at everyone on his team until they agree to let him be a defender. “And you’re goalie,” Eren says to Jean, dragging him into the goal.

“Eren, I swear, you better play properly. I’m trying to get a good grade here so that my mom doesn’t give me a whipping.”

“I always play properly.”

Jean sighs heavily. “I can’t believe it’s only Monday.”

“Yeah, I have to talk to you about this weekend.” Eren notices Shadis glaring his way. “Later.”

After the game has started, Eren edges closer to Jean, says, “So. About this weekend. Well,” he wonders, briefly, why he’s so nervous about asking, “I’m turning eighteen! Before you, haha. Come to my party.”

Jean raises an eyebrow. “Come to your party? Can’t.”

“What?! Why?”

Jean shrugs. “Have things to do. My own birthday’s coming up. I’ll be turning eighteen too.”

Eren can feel his blood start to boil. He never imagined that Jean would decline his invitation so carelessly. After all these months of being nice to each other and doing detention together without getting more detentions right away and kissing each other and making out in locker rooms.

“Your birthday isn’t until April seventh!”

“Wow, Eren, you want me at your party that much?” Jean laughs, runs his fingers through his hair. “I’m flattered.”

“Fuck you, you’re not invited!” Eren turns away.

Just as the ball comes sailing towards his face. He jumps up and manages to kick it away. He realizes a moment later that he has kicked it into his own goal. 

“Eren!” Jean shouts. “Fuck you, Eren, I told you, didn’t I, not to screw this game up for me?!”

“You’re the one who couldn’t catch the ball!”

“You’re supposed to be defending!”

Shadis stomps over to them to announce that they both have detention tomorrow. 

***

“But Eren,” Armin says, tone patient, “you can’t just un-invite your boyfriend from your party because of a silly argument.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Eren pushes open the door to Trost Bakery. The familiar sugary-sweet, warm scent of the place fails to make him feel better. “And yeah, I can. I was in detention for one whole hour, Armin. I had to beg Shadis not to tell my mom about it. Then I had to beg Mikasa not to tell.”

“You didn’t try to make up with Jean during detention? How about today during gym?”

“Hell no. That asshole actually said that he’s too busy preparing for his own birthday to come to mine.” Eren points to the cakes in the display window. “How long does it take to prepare for a birthday party? All you have to do is get one of those cakes. There. Done. It’s the people who’re going to the party that need a lot of time. Picking out gifts and stuff.”

“Oi,” Levi says, leaning over the glass counter to glare at them, “keep it down, shitty brats. This isn’t a playground. Use your indoor voice.”

“Hi, Mr. Levi,” Eren says. 

Levi is rude and insulting more often than not, but he makes the best desserts in town, so he gets a lot of business. And his partner, Erwin Smith, helps out at the bakery in the evenings and that helps sales too because Mr. Smith is nice and kind of handsome (a little like Captain America, but with his blond hair parted in the opposite direction). People come in the hopes of checking him out and brushing hands at the cash register. Even Mom gets flustered around him, and Armin is his number one fanboy.

“We’re here to order a cake for Eren’s birthday party,” Armin says now, addressing Erwin in a high-pitched voice.

“How nice,” Erwin replies, smiling at Armin first and then Eren. “Are you turning eighteen already? How time flies.” 

He hands them a binder full of cake designs, points out their newest display of baked goods, and then turns to the next customer. 

“Alright,” Armin says, opening the binder. “What kind of cake do you want?”

Eren shrugs. He wishes he could buy those cake pops near the cash registers, at least a dozen of them. The chocolate ones are amazing but damn expensive. 

Armin sighs, says, “You’re still upset about Jean. Alright. Let’s try to make sense of what happened. When did you tell Jean about your party?”

“Who’s upset about Jean?” Eren jams his hands into his jacket pockets. “I’m glad he’s not coming. Now I don’t have to get that bastard a present. I can use the money I saved up for … uh, my allowance money, on things I like. Hey, let’s go to Kings Dominion when it opens! Just the three of us, like old times. I’ve got enough for my own ticket, and my parents will give me more for my birthday, so I can buy stuff there. You can give me money for my birthday too, Armin. Don’t bother with gifts.”

Armin flips through the glossy pages of the binder as he replies, “Sorry, Mikasa and I are pooling our money together to buy the party food. That’s our gift to you.”

“That’s great too! You guys always get the best snacks.” Eren smiles. 

He really is going to miss Armin when August comes. Mikasa too. Both of them are moving East for university. Eren didn’t bother applying to their Ivy League universities, and he wasn’t too bummed about being separated from them before because he and Jean are going to the same place, but now that Jean isn’t his friend anymore he wonders what he should do. Maybe he can take a year off, move into an apartment with Armin and Mikasa, find a job in the area. College is overrated anyway.

But his parents will be super upset. 

“Well?” Levi asks, coming around to Eren’s side of the counter. “How long does it take to pick a cake? You’re not five, are you? Oi, Erwin, this binder isn’t age appropriate. Give him the one with the little cars and superhero themes.”

“Sorry, Mr. Levi.” Eren glances at the display of cakes. “Any one of those is fine.”

“Hm.” Levi looks at him closely. “You don’t sound too excited.”

“Turning eighteen is a momentous event,” Erwin says. He touches Levi’s arm. “Give him a few samples to try out at home. You can let us know what you want by tomorrow, Eren.”

Levi prepares a box of samples and also adds a chocolate cake pop, saying “Here, for your upcoming birthday. Don’t get used to it. You’re paying next time.” 

After leaving the bakery, Eren gives himself a little shake, slaps his face with his free hand. A few people turn to stare. He glares at them. 

“My party is going to be great,” he tells Armin, who gives him a placating smile. 

He will think about university when the time comes. It’s his birthday in two days, and he’s not going to let anything get him down. He doesn’t need Jean to come. The thing they had between them wasn’t going to last anyway. It was just physical attraction. Jean is a hot guy, and has nice fingers, and knows how to kiss, but there are better guys out there. People don’t have to settle down into comfortable relationships until they’re old, like Erwin and Levi. Eren is going to find hot guys and have lots of fun, and he’s not going to be hung up about a high-school crush.

***

Jean tries to lean against Eren while they are changing out of their gym clothes on Friday. Eren shoves him into the row of lockers behind them. “Come on, Eren,” Jean huffs, “what’s wrong with you? I mean, what’s more wrong than usual?”

“You’re still not invited,” Eren says. “Don’t try to play nice just because you don’t want to be that loser who has nowhere to be on a Saturday.”

Jean laughs. His teeth are very even and white. His hair is damp with sweat, and his face is still flushed from their game, in which he had kept trying to dribble the ball past Eren, and not being able to because he is a loser. They kept knocking into each other. Eren hasn’t kissed him in days.

Jean says, “Your place isn’t anything special. I’d rather be in the library doing my homework. What are you gonna do at the party anyway, play little baby games and wear party hats?”

Eren grabs the front of Jean’s T-shirt. 

“Cut it out, you two,” Connie groans, grabbing his backpack. “We’re all going to get detention.”

“I’m not even having a party for mine,” Jean continues, pushing his face close to Eren’s. “I’m not a baby. I’m going to have a nice date with someone I like, and then we’re going to have a fabulous night together. _That’s_ how you celebrate your eighteenth birthday.”

Eren lets go of Jean’s shirt. He feels like he’s been punched in the stomach. “You like someone?” he says, before he can stop himself. “Who?”

Jean looks at him for a moment before sighing, long and loud.

“Yeah, I don’t care.” Eren zips up his sweatshirt. “I don’t give a single fuck. You’re just making that up anyway. No one would date a horse-face like you.”

“Happy birthday, Jerk,” Jean replies, reaching for his ugly preppy sweater. “Remember not to cry at your party.”

Eren is about to punch him when Shadis enters the locker room and tells them they have three seconds left to leave or else they will have after-school detention.

***

“Mikasa,” Eren says, watching her set up the party food on the kitchen table, “is it super babyish to have a party for your eighteenth birthday?”

“Yes,” she replies. “But don’t worry, we won’t put up any streamers.” She frowns at Armin.

Armin says, “What’s wrong with streamers? They’re festive.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” Eren snaps. “I’ve been going around like an idiot this week, and you two didn’t stop me!”

“It’s not babyish,” Armin says, placing a bowl of chips and dip in front of him. “Lots of seniors have birthday parties. We’ve gone to a few ourselves, right? And Marco and Reiner and everyone were talking about how much they’re looking forward to coming today. Why the sudden change of heart, Eren?”

Eren remembers all of a sudden that those two haven’t had any birthday parties since they started high school. It’s just been the three of them giving each other gifts and doing something together. They should have done that today. They might not be together for his nineteenth birthday. He really is such a stupid kid. Getting all worked up about a birthday party, and the person he really wanted at his party doesn’t want to come.

“Let’s call it off,” Eren says. He stands up. “C’mon. We’ll take Mom’s car and go somewhere fun. Let’s go to the beach!”

Mikasa, finished with setting up the food, takes out the vacuum cleaner. Armin goes to the family computer in the living room and starts making an iTunes playlist for the party. Eren throws himself back on his chair. “You guys suck!” he shouts. 

“Armin,” Mikasa says. “Finish vacuuming for me.”

Armin protests, “Mikasa, no. You can’t just drag Jean here. Eren doesn’t want that. And they have to learn how to get along on their own. We won’t be with them for very long, remember?”

“Jean Kirstein has got nothing to do with anything!” Eren says. “I hate him. He’s dating someone else anyway. He probably has a date today, which is why he can’t come, but instead of telling me that he made up some excuse about how he has to get ready for his own birthday.”

“I’ll beat him up tomorrow,” Mikasa promises. “I’ll target his penis specifically so that he won’t be able to get it up for his girlfriend.”

The doorbell rings. Armin hurries towards the door, saying, “Cheer up, Eren! You don’t want people complaining on Monday about how much your party sucked, right?”

Eren pastes a smile on his face as he walks to the front hallway. He wants everyone to talk about how much fun they had. That way Jean will be really jealous. And he does want people to have a good time. It’s the weekend after all.

***

Everyone he invited came, except for Jean of course. They seem to be having fun. Marco, Bertolt, and Annie are watching a basketball game on TV. Reiner, Connie, Ymir, Krista, and Sasha are dancing to “Don’t You Worry Child” in the middle of the living room. Armin is making more punch. The food is half gone already. The mat from an abandoned game of Twister lies crumpled in the middle of the floor, along with the bottle from the Spin the Bottle game no one but Armin and Reiner wanted to play. It’s been two hours since the party started.

Mikasa says, “Eren, let’s cut the cake.” She murmurs, “Then they can go home.”

“Why, is everyone getting bored?”

“You’re the one who’s bored.”

“Am not.” Eren glances out the window. “But it’s a little hot in here. I’m going out for some fresh air, okay, and then we can cut the cake.”

He goes out and sits on the front steps. He knows he is acting like an ungrateful little shit. His parents left him with the house and also gave him a hundred bucks and his friends are here and Levi made a really nice triple chocolate mousse cake for him. 

People break up all the time. And he and Jean weren’t exactly dating either, Eren reminds himself. They’ve just been spending a lot of time together not fighting this year. And kissing and stuff. Jean is good at kissing, and he seemed to like kissing Eren, that is, until Monday happened. It wasn’t going to last. There wasn’t anything there that needed to last. There is no point in being mad. Jean is kind of a decent, level-headed guy when he’s not being a dick, and now he wants someone he can get along with 90% of the time instead of 49%, and that’s fine, that’s what everyone should want for themselves.

It feels weird not having Jean at the party though. He’s been part of their crowd since high school started. Eren heaves a sigh, pulls his cell phone out of his pocket.

He has just started typing when he hears a familiar voice say, “Yo, Eren.”

The phone slips out of his hands and lands on the stone steps. The screen shatters.

Jean winces. He standing at the bottom of the steps, a brown paper gift bag held in one hand. He looks really good. Eren can’t remember seeing him in that green button-up before, or those skinny jeans that show off long, long legs. 

Eren says, “You better buy me a new phone.”

“Haha, like I have that kind of money.” Jean starts up the steps. “Besides, I already brought you a gift.” He shoves the bag under Eren’s nose. “Happy birthday and all that.”

“You told me that yesterday.”

“Yeah, but the atmosphere wasn’t right.” 

“Why’re you here anyway.” Eren takes the gift bag and puts it on his lap. “Aren’t you supposed to be super busy? Girlfriend dumped you already?”

“What girlfriend?” Jean sits down next to him. “The only thing I have is an angry boyfriend. Who invited me to his stupid birthday party _after_ inviting everyone else and their moms.”

Eren stares. Jean crosses his arms and pouts at the bushes next to him. Eren can see under the glow of the lights spilling from the house that the tip of Jean’s right ear is turning red. “What the fuck, Jean,” Eren says.

“Whatever. I’m here now. I figured you were just being an awkward mess as always, so I decided to forgive you. Happy? Open your present.” Jean turns back to Eren, pushes a knee against Eren’s, slings an arm around his shoulders.

Eren can’t believe Jean was mad about being invited last, and more importantly, he can’t believe Jean called him his boyfriend. Boyfriend, wow. Eren feels something tighten in his chest.

He fumbles with the bag, saying, “You better have bought me something nice.” 

There is a cream-colored bakery box inside the bag with the words Trost Bakery printed in gold letters on top. Eren opens the lid to find a dozen chocolate cake pops lined up inside. The letters of his first and last names are on them, bold green against the brown. 

He closes the lid. Jean raises an eyebrow, asks, “What? You don’t like them? But you like Levi’s bakery, and when I went there yesterday Levi said you-”

Eren grabs Jean by the collar, pulls him close, kisses him hard on the mouth. 

After a moment, Jean shifts around to cup Eren’s face in his hands. He sucks on Eren’s lips, first the top and the bottom, before coaxing Eren’s mouth open with his tongue. His fingers are firm against Eren’s jawline, his tongue sweet. 

Between the two of them, Jean is the one more like Steve Rogers, Eren realizes. Jean is the one who has changed the most in the past four years. He used to be a lazy asshole, but now he gets things done and understands people and is almost gentle, like right now, the way he is carding his fingers through Eren’s hair, nice and slow like they have all the time in the world. Eren can’t wait for August to come so that they can start living together. 

“Fine,” Eren says when they part to breathe. “You can be Captain America.”

Jean blinks. His cheeks are flushed. “What?” he asks. And then, reaching for the bakery box, “Whatever. What I really want is for you to eat these in front of me.”

“Right now?” Eren smirks. “You want me to put on a show for you? Sure you can handle it in those pants?”

He is reaching for Jean’s crotch when the front door opens and Armin and Mikasa appear, both frowning. 

“Eren, you’ve been sitting out here for too long,” Mikasa says.

“Hi, Jean,” Armin says, sounding not at all surprised. “Come inside and have some food before it’s all gone.”

“Okay, okay, give us a minute,” Eren says. After they have gone back inside, he kisses Jean, says, “We’ll finish this later.”

“Yeah, you better be ready.” Jean stands up and then hauls Eren up. “Next weekend, remember. My birthday dinner.”

“What? You really meant that about a dinner?” Eren squeezes Jean’s ass, and Jean yelps. “Can’t wait. And I’m going to get you something really nice too.”

Jean says, smiling, “I know.”


End file.
